A time that never was
by MelodyCurious
Summary: River and the Doctor are shown, what might have happened to him if a decision in the past had gone the other way.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **During_ the summer, I found myself filled with the need to start writing Doctor Who fiction again. The trouble was in order to do so, I first had to bring an OC created many years ago up to speed. Now while this character will never feature in anything I write here - reading back over her, she's beyond doubt far too powerfull and that's not what anyone wants to read - but I had to bring her into the modern, in order to move on with fresh stuff. Does that make sense?_

_Yesterday I guess I hit a brain storm - writing a section that was taking place in a universe that never happened - and the thought occurred, to take those four small scences and post them here. It spans from Doctor 8 - 11. Please forgive my vainity, I wanted to share as anyone would._

_These scences are images viewed in an alternative universe that, though a decision early on, never came to be. It is between the 11th Doctor, River and my OC._

_I'm not heavy on descriptive writing, putting down what I see in my head, which plays like a tv episode._

_~ in front, denotes telepathic speach. It's use in descriptive text is denoting the universe that exists. Also the Capital for He/His/Him, is used here to indicate the Lord High President. T rated for implied violence and vampirism._

_For my sins, I do not own the Doctor, nor River. I can only claim my own character... though he's welcome to come round and play on my wii any day!_

_Thank you._

**Inside the Tardis**

_River, ever down to business first, became serious once more._

"What would have happened, otherwise?... If you'd never met the Doctor, I mean... If they'd decided on the other path instead. Do you know?"

_Zara nodded, her eyes going a little out of focus as she looked at the *What-might-have-been* timelines._

_~ Stripped of my free will... I would endure such punishments until I learnt to obey them in everything... The people I would kill without a thought to live, the lives I would warp as my abilities grew. It is not pleasant, and my reminder; __of how aware I must always be._

_I would have been at His side during the Last Great Time War, negating all damage inflicted by the Daleks, turning their weapons back on themselves, until He grew tired of the game and would order them erased from existence. Their memory would stay as warning to others and the universe would be remade in His image... Only one rule would matter... That of the Lord High Presidents, and any who would dare to stand against him, would be purged from reality... or worse~_

_Silent tears had started to run down her face, as her unfocused gaze turned to him. He nodded slowly, aware that he would have stood against the Lord High President - as he had done when the Master had summoned them from the Time Lock he'd trapped them in to end the war - That his fate would have been death, and he doubted it would have been quick._

"Show me"

_He nodded, squeezing her hand again. To fully understand, River needed to see what might have been. He knew it wouldn't be pleasant for any of them. But she had to understand._

**_8TH:_**

The Lord High President sat on his throne staff in hand, behind him veiled and dressed in white was the woman they called "The Anything Child". He smiled at the assembled Time Lords in chains before him, they were few, which pleased him. His people weren't stupid, they knew where the power lay and you followed the power - always. There were few fools, or idealists on Gallifrey. The guards awaited his words, today was execution day.

"Any last words before I pronounce sentence on you all?"

The Doctor stood tall, brown curls hung to his shoulders and there was a calmness about his features that others wished they felt.

"Would it really matter? Is there anything we could say that would alter this?"

"Possibly... possibly not. I will give you all one last chance to change your fates... let it not be said I am not a fair man" He smiled at that, daring anyone to challenge him.

"Fair? Was it _fair_ to wipe a race out of existence? Your power blinds you Lord President, nothing you do is _fair_, your will is all that matters so the gods help anyone who stands in your way"

"So be it, Lord Doctor... I will enjoy watching you die, most of all. In five days you will beg for death - perhaps I will let you have it then."

Signalling the guards, he pointed to the Doctor.

"Take him away, I have plans for him... The rest? Shoot them and their descendents"

Placed in a plain cell with just the basics needed for life, there was little to do but sit on the meagre bed and wait his death. He imagined the sounds of laser fire, as the others were executed. He was glad his family was long gone now, that Susan was safe in the past. That all he had to think about was himself. At last the door opened and the Lord President walked in, the guard at the door saluted and waited, his weapon pointed at the Doctor.

"You may leave us... he is no threat to me... or any other" With a nod the guard left.

"Are you so sure about that, Lord President? I mean, I've gotten out of closer calls than this"

"So I've heard, but this is the end for you Lord Doctor... No more last-minute escapes, no rescue... Just your death, over and over, until I say otherwise. I had hoped you would see the light, shall we say and stand at my side"

"Did you really think I would?"

"Perhaps your right... Still it is of little matter, you have made your choice and now you shall reap your reward"

The President raised a hand and gestured, the Doctor flinched briefly expecting the power of the Infinity Gauntlet to rip through him. Instead The Anything Child, veiled and in white walked into the room and closed the door.

"There was a time Lord Doctor, when I did consider asking for your help with this one's upbringing. I see now, how right I was not to ask you... you would have corrupted it with your faint heart notions"

Stepping towards her, he raised the veil and let it drop. She kept her gaze down, hands neatly folded in front of her. The Doctor shivered slightly, this was the creäture who erased the Daleks without a thought. The President gripped her chin and raised her head, her pale green eyes met his awaiting his instructions.

"A remarkable experiment, don't you think Lord Doctor? Many regenerations went in to achieving this result, a being so powerful, that understands and uses the Skasis Paradigm without a thought... Who obeys no one but myself, will never falter in any task I set it... The face of an angel, so innocent and yet so deadly... Are you hungry 417?"

The Anything Child nodded once and He smiled, turning her head towards the Doctor, her eyes moved to the bound Time Lord.

"Then feed"

Glancing once at the Lord President, she slowly moved to the bed and sat down. The Doctor's eyes never left her.

"An interesting side-effect of the process Lord Doctor, no matter what we tried, it would always transfer into the next incarnation... its need to feed on living blood."

She carefully looked him over, a slight smile on her lips, and then she reached to pull on his tie. The Doctor tried to back away, but there was few places to go.

"You don't need to do this"

"You can't reason with it Lord Doctor, it does as it's instructed, unlike some"

Buttons opened one by one, till she'd exposed his throat and laid his left shoulder bare. He found he couldn't move as she crawled behind him and gently pulled him towards her. One hand rested lightly on his forehead and pulled his head round to rest on her right shoulder. Her head dipped, and he felt her breath on his throat just before she impaled him with her fangs.

Sensations of both pain and pleasure shot through him, and he tried to arch away, but nothing would move. All the time the Lord President watched as she drained the life blood from The Doctor and the world went dark around him.

"Enough... you can feed again tomorrow"

He felt her stand and move away, faintly noticing her pull his shirt back over him, a trickle of blood on her chin. Then the world erupted into energy and pain as his body began to regenerate, saving his life.


	2. Chapter 2

**9th:**

A day passed, they brought him food though he didn't know why. They were killing him weren't they? So why the kindness? When the guards later came to bind his hands, he knew this day of life was almost over.

The Lord President entered followed by the veiled woman in white.

"Oh look, it's the Lord President with his pet vampire, to what do I owe this honour?"

"Such Jokes Lord Doctor, I expected better of you"

"What? Like begging for my life? Thanks, but no thanks... Think I'd rather die than be in the same universe with you"

"Then we are both in agreement... But are you really so quick to end it?"

"It's not like I have much choice, now is it? I mean, we can talk for a while if you want but the result is the same. Lady Death there will still swan over and bite me, when you say"

The Lord High President smiled and walked further into the room.

"All you say is true... and if you will not offer me entertainment, then there is no need to prolong your demise, is there?"

He raised his hand and gestured towards the waiting figure behind him, lifting her veil woman walked towards the immobilized figure.

The Doctor kept watching her until she moved behind him once more, trying to reach out to her with his thoughts, to connect with her. But the pain and pleasure hit and regeneration soon followed.

**Inside the Tardis:**

"Five days he said... do we have to watch five days of your murder?"

_~Not five days River... it only lasted three~_


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: **Don't ask me why, but putting this part up for viewing was one of the hardest things I've done. It's something about not wanting the 10th to die... I love them all, but 10th hits a cord in my heart that I can't deny... Anyway, 10th departure...and yes, I did have to go away and rewrite it, so he solved the problem and survived... I'm daft that way._

**10th**

The guards had just left, his hands were once more bound behind him. The Doctor stood by the wall, watching the door. Dark brown hair spiky and a mess, his almost black eyes studied the door - waiting for his death to arrive.

When the door did open, it was to allow the Anything Child to enter alone. The door shut behind her and she just stood there, veiled and waiting. This was different.

"Alone today, I see? Has he got bored with watching already? Not that I blame him... I mean, how much fun can you have watching someone die every day?... Oh hang about, this is the Lord President we're talking about... He loves killing. And when I say we're talking... I really mean me... Can you talk, did they even let you have that ability?"

He moved slowly towards her, bending slightly to catch her hidden eye-line.

"Just what did they do to you?"

And there was something there, at the edges of his mind another presence. What was it the President had said - regeneration?

"Are you... Gallifreyian? Can you understand me?... Just what sick experiments has he done?"

She pushed her veil back then and watched him, no curiosity at all in her eyes. Everything about her was white, clothes, hair even her eyes he could see were pale blue.

"We call you the Anything Child... do you even have a name?"

Her head tilted slightly.

"417"

"That's not a name, it's a designation... What did your parents name you?"

He closed his eyes in pain and staggered back, as images shot across his mind of her creation. There were no loving parents to hold her, or anyone who cared. An experiment birthed in blood, ripped from the dying mother, destined to control matter. In that brief instant he understood what they had done to her and why she would obey.

"I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry... If I'd have known... I'd never have allowed this to happen"

Did she just nod, ever so slightly?

There was a sound from the doorway, almost a chime, and she turned towards it. The Doctor's eyes went from the door, back to her. She remained staring at the closed-door, unmoving.

"Is that it? Is that the signal for you to feed today... Drain me till my hearts stop beating?"

"Yes"

Again, no emotion. Just the word simply stated. It was hard to reason with someone like this - but he still tried... would keep trying till death finally claimed him in three days time... It was that or give up, and he couldn't do that.

She turned towards him now, hands neatly clenched in front of her.

"Look! You don't have to do this! You could be so much more than this... His killing machine!"

The Anything Child took a step forward, and he instinctively moved backwards. A look of brief surprise crossed his face, as he realised she hadn't paralyzed him as before.

A feeling of profound sadness touched his mind... She knew... and somewhere inside she was crying.

"I know"

"You do?"

"All is clear to me, even the paths that never where"

"If you can see all that... then change this... Stop Him, you've got the power... The universe doesn't deserve this"

"I obey His word"

Staring at her, doing his best not to shake, he realised that his life was now measured in minutes - not years as it might have been. He found he wasn't that quick to embrace death today, knowing that the pain of rebirth awaited him and another day of dying. Another incarnation that would never see the universe, that would be a memory to a creäture raised in blood, who cried inside.

"If you can see all that... is this really what you want?"

She slowly moved to his side, to come behind him as she always had when she killed him. And even though he could move - for reasons known only to herself, she had left him control of his body - he stood still, following her with his eyes.

"Please...Don't... if I'm to die... I want to see it... face it head on... Please?"

The Anything Child met his gaze and inclined her head slightly, she moved back to face him and they stared at each other. The Doctor searching her face for any sign of emotion or compassion, he noticed her eyes unfocused for a moment as she looked at him, and he wondered what it meant.

"I'm sorry... I wish I'd been there for you... when you needed someone... I can't change the past, what's happened... But I wish it was different"

She reached a hand towards his face, and he made himself not flinch as she touched him. His gaze locked on to hers, as she studied his features, like she was seeing him for the first time. Slowly she stroked his cheek, running it gently down his throat, to rest on his bare chest. Under her hand, she could feel the rapid beating of his hearts.

The touch on his mind was one of reluctance, regret and fear. Her fingers, traced through the hairs there and he swallowed slightly.

"What will happen... if you don't kill me?"

Her gaze rested on his chest, following her fingers there. They stopped between his hearts and he saw the sadness on a face, that had never shown emotion before. Her voice was a whisper, that only he could hear.

"He will return and watch... Each day will be the same, and He will watch..."

"You could escape... bring down the walls like Jericho... He couldn't stop you"

"I am bound... I... am sorry"

The Doctor tried to smile, his time was in breaths now.

"Hey... it's okay. I understand, you don't want to... but you have to... Just one thing... before I die... Let me see them? Please"

She raised her eyes to his face and he noticed how bright they looked. Again the slight nod as she opened her mouth. He watched as the canine's started to grow, becoming long enough to penetrate through to his jugular, and the fluid pulsating there.

"Thank you... I'm ready"

Again the feeling of sorrow in his head, as she stepped forward and embraced him like a lover would. As she gently pulled his head towards her and dipped her face to his throat, he saw the tears run down her cheeks and he closed his eyes.

Rebirth awaited.

_~The last day~_


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:**_And here we reach the end. Thank you all for reading, I trust is wasn't too painful. _

**11th**

The guards had just left, binding his hands behind him and removing the empty bowl. They'd left him a robe yesterday, his attire having finally given up after the forced regenerating. He'd hated wearing these things when he was younger, where was the freedom to move? To run?

But the running was over now, wasn't it?

He'd felt like he'd made some progress yesterday in getting through to the Anything Child. Those feelings of regret, reluctance - the tears - it proved she didn't really want to obey Him on an inner level. Now if he could work on that, wasn't there a chance? But who was he fooling, The Lord High President controlled her, and she obeyed without thought... or at least obeyed and cried inside.

The cell door opened and the guard looked in, noting him sat on the bed and no threat, he stood aside to let his executioner in. The door sealed behind her, and they were alone again.

"Why the veil?... everyday your veiled. I know what you look like... at least you get a new face every day, that's variety for you. Can't we stop with the veil?"

The Anything Child pushed the item in question back and looked at him. Brown hair falling across his face, body like a new-born foal - all limbs.

"It is how He says I must be"

"Of course it is, it's how He remains impersonal towards you... Without a face, you're a thing, a weapon... not a living person. If he told you to jump, you would... He made you after all... Don't you ever think for yourself, do something that only you want to do?"

"No"

"He's right then, the perfect weapon"

She remained silent.

"What's the point of raging? Your just as much a prisoner here as I am... At least I get it over with, in what? Two days... or will He stretch it out to more? Wouldn't put it past him either... He's the sort of person who pulled wings off flies as a child"

The Doctor, still perched on the end of the bed, shook the hair out of his eyes.

"So, now what? Do we talk until I bore you into killing me or until you get your signal? Personally I'm all in favour of calling it a day and walking out of here... But that's not on the cards now is it?"

She continued to watch him.

"I know you can understand me, you proved that yesterday... I thought... we were connecting"

"Yes"

She'd spoken ever so softly, he almost missed it. The Doctor stood and moved towards her, treading carefully as if he expected the floor to give way, or the guards to return and shoot him.

"Where did this go wrong?"

"He never sent for you"

"Me? What would I have done, that He didn't?"

"Let me live"

"Oh... I see, well not really sure about that if I'm honest... but what you showed me yesterday, I think I understand. Classic example of one choice creating two futures, happens all the time... though not on this scale... and not usually to me"

She nodded slightly, her eyes never leaving his face. He found it a little unnerving at first, but it was better than her just staring at the floor. At least he had her attention, and that meant time, and time meant he carried on breathing.

"So, what's the plan then? I mean is there a way out of this... for you, me... that'd be nice, but how many more races will He erase in the future, on a whim? What then?"

The same chime as yesterday sounded from the closed-door, and he looked up startled.

"So soon? I've only just gotten started... There was ages yesterday"

The Doctor turned away and walked into the rooms centre.

"Look I know I have a big mouth, it really runs away with me at times... But what's the harm in letting me talk for a bit? Okay...possibly loads really... but I'm going to be a long time dead soon, or is that too much to ask"

The gentle touch on his arm made his shoulders sag, his time was over. Turning towards her he looked at the woman in white beside him.

"So that's it then? This is where I bare my throat and it's hello next me? Two more days and the final curtain...Good night Doctor!... Okay...alright, I had hoped for more. I thought yesterday... something had changed"

_~It did~_

The hand on his arm dropped to his bonds and parted his wrists, as now nothing was there. He could sense her presence at the edges of his mind. The sorrow and loneliness were still there, but there was something new.

Rubbing his wrists, he stared at the Anything Child - the one-with-no-name - and wondered briefly if he'd done the right thing this time, and just how fast this was getting back to the Lord President, and more importantly... how much time they had.

"I saw what might have been... and ... I no longer wish this existence. I have seen beyond these days ..."

A muffled sound from the door made the Doctor glance over, it seemed the guards were on the move.

"His rule will be Word, and only His word will matter. Those who will not give, I will purge in His name. Any race perceived as a threat to His rule, I will erase... Until none remain but His people and his Word"

"And he becomes as xenophobic as the Daleks, ironic really when you think about it"

She inclined her head slightly and looked at the door. The noises stopped suddenly, cut off in mid sound.

"It ends today... Without myself, His power is diminished, yet the threat will remain. For what He created once, can be duplicated. If not He, than another will arise later... I cannot allow that. This reality will be better off without us both"

"So you're just going to wipe out the Time Lords and yourself?... is any of that even sane? Just leave"

"And be tracked down? I cannot"

"Why?" She turned her gaze back to him, and there it was the other thing he'd sensed... determination.

"This is the moment I control myself... He has commanded me for so long, if He nears..."

The Doctor nodded in understanding.

"Then your conditioning will kick in, and you'll be his tame killer again... Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You have done enough... I will return to you your lost days, place you far away with your vehicle... That is the least I can do"

"That is really tempting... and believe me, I've wanted nothing more than to walk out of here still breathing..."

She nodded, already giving her attention to the job she had to do, yet his next words surprised her.

"But, in all fairness... I don't think I will. I know, I know. Change of hearts and all that, I know if I stop to think on it, I'll regret it..."

"I don't understand... " He grinned like a child.

"Neither do I... but I do know one thing... I wasn't there when you needed me"

Gently he gripped her shoulders and bent slightly, the better to have eye contact.

"But I am now...You've been alone all your life... I think it's about time that stops... ok?"

The Anything Child blinked quickly as tears fell down her pale cheeks, and the Doctor pulled her towards him and hugged her.

"Hey... it's ok... hush now.. I've got you... do what you have to do"

He lightly kissed the top of her head, and closed his eyes tight. Already he could sense things vanishing as time-lines began to fade away, and part of him couldn't help but wonder...

_~Will it hurt?~_

~no~

The world went white...

_Finis_


End file.
